I attended Montana State University on a wrestling scholarship and earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. I also attended Butte College and earned Associate’s Degrees in Social and Behavioral Science and in Fire Science.
I began my career in the fire service 1991 as a volunteer firefighter. In 1993, I started with California Department of Forestry (CDF) where I was a seasonal firefighter in the Lassen-Modoc Unit for 5 years, 3 of which were on a helitack crew out of Bieber. In 1999, I promoted to Limited Term Fire Apparatus Engineer in the Shasta-Trinity Unit. Within 5 months of being promoted, I received a permanent job offer with the Yuba City Fire Department and worked there for about one year. In 2001, I returned back as Permanent Fire Apparatus Engineer with the newly-named CAL FIRE in the Shasta-Trinity Unit. I promoted to Fire Captain in 2003 in the Shasta-Trinity Unit and worked in many different functions within the department. I worked in Schedule A, Schedule B, Training, and Emergency Command Center Operations. I was a Hazmat Specialist on the Hazardous Materials team along with being an instructor for fire control and rescue system classes.
In 2012, I promoted to Battalion Chief at Northern Region Headquarters in Redding where I was responsible for mobilizing all CAL FIRE resources including Fire Engines, Hand Crews, and Aircraft to major fire incidents. I coordinated rental fire equipment and emergency dispatch support for large incidents. I was the Cadre lead for dispatch support (C-310) for ordering Equipment and crews for large scale incidents. In 2014, I transferred as a Battalion Chief to the Butte Unit’s Training and Safety Bureau where I was responsible for ensuring the unit’s employees were up-to-date with mandatory certifications and training. I also coordinated and placed personnel in elective training to become more efficient and productive fire ground employees. I currently serve as one of Northern Region’s Intermediate Firing (C-234) cadre members and Fire Apparatus Engineer Hiring Coordinator. In 2015, I transferred within the unit to Field Battalion Chief for Battalion 1, and in 2018 transferred to Battalion 4.
In 2019 I promoted to Assistant Chief Officer, Administration. In April, 2022, I was appointed Deputy Chief of Operations, overseeing the Butte Unit's North and South Operational Divisions, Emergency Command Center, and Fleet Maintenance.